CIPR moves Public Relations Register forward

The CIPR Public Relations Register is now available to members only for review, prior to being made publicly searchable in January 2013.

At a meeting of the CIPR Council on 19 November, three important decisions were made regarding the proposal to introduce a publicly searchable register of CIPR members. These follow a period of feedback from members on the initial announcement.

Exemptions

Although CIPR Council is committed to providing a complete register of CIPR members, they were asked to consider certain exemptions. They voted to allow members who can provide supporting documentation from a client or employer, be exempted for reasons of personal security. This will be explained in a section of the website entitled “How to use the Public Relations Register”.

‘Checking Period’ and Date of Publication

Council opted to publish the register from 1 December 2012, behind the password protected area of the website for approximately one month. This is to allow members to view the full register and to amend any details via My CIPR, which will be clearly signposted from the register itself. This is a change to the originally published programme, which would have seen the register publicly published on 1 December and means the register will be now made public in January.

Update to the CIPR Regulations

Council updated section two of the CIPR regulations, parts 2-8 and 15, to reflect the register. A full set of the amendments and the new regulations are available.

“

The CIPR has listened to members, who were generally very supportive of the idea of introducing the Public Relations Register. We took serious concerns on board and have developed the proposal accordingly. CIPR Council has once again signalled their complete support for the idea and we are looking forward to making it a reality.

We believe the Public Relations Register is an important step in promoting CIPR membership to our key audiences. We want the public to have confidence in our profession and to show clients and employers that they can make a clear choice to work with professionals committed to high standards and accountability.

Founded in 1948, the Chartered Institute of Public relations (CIPR) is the professional body for public relations practitioners in the UK. With over 10,000 members involved in all aspects of PR, it is the largest body of its type in Europe. The CIPR advances the public relations profession in the UK by making its members accountable through a code of conduct, developing policies, representing its members and raising standards through education and training.